TNLI
Well-Known Member
The Spade is included in the test, and that is a new generation anchor, as is the new Lewmar CQR, (Orogiinal and stainless), the Lewmar Claw and the Lewmar Danforths, (alloy and steel). The only thing about modern anchors is the are far lighter and more easily bent, and in the case of the Rocna, fail 180 degree tests. In the case of the Spade they rust very quickly and like the rest are far too weak for use in a storm. None of them are any good with a short scope, are no good in heavy weed, cobblestones or rocks. In the real world you do need to be able to anchor in any type of holding and with a short scope.
The title of this thread is HERRESHOFF, so we are getting well off topic, although we are all guilty to some extent. So drifting off topic I'm curious to know what you use for a secondary main that has to work in bottom types that the primary does not function in. So do you carry a short scope anchor, or accept that your cruising area does not have any depths that would be problematic near shore, and your main was designed for cobblestones, rocks and heavy weed. The Bruce for example is good in cobblestones and rocks, BUT not weed, even fairly light weed. So if you have enough scope a Delta or CQR combined with a Bruce on a seperate rode does work if you don't have heavy weed, (Often Kelp), and have enough chain to do 4 or 5 to 1 scope. I've seen that combination used on some boats in Poole that go off the beaten track in anchorage terms.
In seamanship terms if a storm is forecast and you can't or don't want to head offshore and don't have a boat that is beachable, going around to the lee of an island, rather than staying in an overcrowded anchorage can be worth considering, (Depends a lot on how good your anchoring gear is AND the accuracy of the forecast). Alas those areas are often mixed bottom, including patches of heavy weed, coral, cobblestones or rocks.
You can sustain some serious hull and rig damage in an overcrowded anchorage, even if no one drags. The trouble is often caused by multihull or racing boats that lacks a second anchor or enough chain. Sometimes it results from some chump weighing anchor, and tripping several other boats main anchors. I've weighed anchor and either moved out into deeper water, or gone around to the lee, several dozen times cos we had started dragging, (The grapnels were too light, so bent), or the anchorage was overcrowded. Don't forget that all it needs is one boat trying to use the wrong anchor, or some daft rope rode to start a chain reaction. Some owners are daft enough to think one light anchor was enough. I suppose if you have a larger than normal Herreshoff, that might be true. Luke recommend an anchor double the normal weight for storms, partly because their anchors underperform in sand. In the real world of nasty sudden squalls and unforecast valley winds, you might not have time to return to a boat and deploy a storm anchor.
Be safe out there and buy a second anchor!!!
